Corvette Project Guide - Weekend Warriors Unite

Simple Weekend Projects For Your Corvette

When you own a Corvette, it seems like there is always something to do, whether it's keeping up the appearance, routine maintenance, modifications, or improvements of some sort. Fortunately, for most of us, it's a labor of love. And if you're fortunate enough to own more than one Vette, well then there's plenty to do with your cars on the weekend.

Here are 18 projects you can tackle and complete over a weekend. Most of them take under an hour or two from start to finish, and the nice thing about them is you don't have to be a master mechanic, or need a NASCAR toolbox full of tools, and you don't need a lot of cash, either.

In an effort to bring you the latest information, a listing of the top 20 custom auto parts purchased according to the SEMA 2006 Trends and Forecasts Quarterly Update for the third quarter of 2006 is on the next page.

Based on this newly released information, we selected projects that would be consistent (as much as possible) with the current industry trends as listed in this survey. For example:

There are plenty of other projects that don't neatly fit into any particular pigeonhole, but are easy-to-do and worthwhile, nonetheless.

Some of these projects are generation-specific (e.g., midyear or C5), others, although shown on a particular car, apply to any year Corvette. Before we get started, however, there are a few things you may want to gather to make the going easier.

I, personally, am not crazy about getting my hands filthy, so I'm a big fan of disposable gloves whenever I'm doing "dirty" work. I also like to be comfortable, so a roll-about stool or bench to sit on may also be useful. good old WD-40, a perennial staple of my toolbox, always comes in handy for one thing or another, as well as a basic complement of tools, including screwdrivers and Torx drivers, wrenches, sockets, and ratchets. And if you enjoy listening to music, by all means turn on the radio, stereo, or iPod, and have a bottle of water or can of soda on hand. I don't advise imbibing alcoholic beverages any time you're working on your Corvette, using machinery, or anything else that requires your full attention and faculties. save the "brewskies" for when the job is done!

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Corvette Project Guide - Weekend Warriors Unite

Weekends are meant for working on the Corvette of your choice!

Here are three stainless Phillips 1/8x1/2-inch screws with beveled heads and 1/2-inch od stainless beveled-finish washers to replace the factory trunk/rear decklid-lip screws (the actual number of screws/washers you'll need depends on whether you have a coupe, Z06, or convertible). They're readily available at the hardware section of any home improvement center.

Here's what the trunk-lid lip of my C5 convertible looks like with the stainless screws and finish washers installed. What a difference a little bling makes, and no more unsightly rusty screw problems to contend with.

This trunk apron is a breeze to install and takes only minutes. Since Velcro is used to fasten it, no tools are required, and it rolls up compactly when not in use.

The first task is to remove the two Torx screws that retain each stock taillight. With these screws removed, the entire taillight assembly can be pulled out of the car.

Just squeeze and twist to remove the bulb holder from the taillight assembly. Once this is free, just pull on the bulb to remove it from the holder.

The new taillights are equipped with a contact plug that is inserted into the bulb holder. This contact plug is keyed, so it can only be inserted when properly oriented. Just push it all the way in until it won't go any further. Then insert the holder into the new taillight and twist until it clicks in place. Put the new taillight in place, insert the two Torx screws removed initially and tighten. Repeat the process for the other three taillights and you're done.

The new LED taillight is on the left, with the stock unit still in place on the right. These LED units throw a lot of light, and they blink a bit faster than the stock directional bulbs. Very trick, indeed.

Close examination of this original '67 rear script reveals pitting and general weather wear. Additionally, this emblem caused an annoying rattle at idle speed due to vibration since it wasn't properly mounted. apparently, a previous owner of this car had removed it and didn't replace it correctly.

Who would have thought eliminating that annoying engine noise on your Corvette radio caused by alternator interference could be as easy as connecting two wires? That's all it takes with this radio-noise suppression kit.

You can hide the capacitor, securing it with the supplied cable tie, or leave it in plain sight if you prefer.

As you can see here, the inlay paint is peeling, and the numbers are showing some pitting-time to replace them, indeed.

The replacement-number set from Paragon Reproductions comes complete with the speed nuts required for securing them.

With the hood open, replacing the numbers is simply a matter of removing the 5/16-inch speed nuts to release the old numbers, inserting the new ones in their place, and tightening them in with the new speed nuts. This job couldn't be simpler. This same procedure works equally well for 427, 454, and L-88 insignias.

The FilterMag is a heavy-duty magnet that simply sticks right onto the side of your oil filter. Just pull your Vette up onto ramps or jack it up and support it with jackstands, slap the FilterMag onto the side of the filter (or filter canister for the early-year Corvettes), and that's all there is to it. I strongly suggest you let your engine cool before installing it to avoid any burns from hot exhaust components.

E3 claims their plugs with Diamond Fire technology deliver more power, better fuel economy, and they last longer. What I like best about them is they don't need to be gapped-they're ready to use right out of the box. The Sidewinder Speed Wrench, available from Corvette Central, makes plug removal and installation a snap. E3 plugs are available at numerous retailers nationwide.

The stock shifter knob is held in place with a U-shaped staple. Use a small flat-blade screwdriver to pry the staple from the knob, and then simply lift the knob off.

Place the aftermarket shift knob on the shifting post, press down with the palm of your hand, reinsert the U-shaped staple removed from the stock unit, and push it all the way in-that's all there is to it.

As you can see, this 40-year-old original gas door on my '67 has seen better days. I decided to replace it with the beautiful gas door from the '63 Corvette instead.

Two Phillips screws retain the fuel-filler door at the hinge, and these are removed first.

If you decided to replace the bezel, then you'll have to remove the two lower Phillips screws that retain the bezel as well.

Installation of the new bezel and gas door is the exact opposite of removal. Here's that pretty, new '63 door and bezel in place.

The Eastwood Company's Flexi-Black aerosol rubberized coating is great for refurbishing battery trays, and their acid-neutralizing battery mat helps keep the tray looking clean and new for a long, long time.

The battery cut-off switch, also called a quick disconnect, is available in either top-terminal or side-terminal configurations from Mid America Motorworks.

Clean the terminals thoroughly, and then install the cut-off switch on the negative terminal. Connect the negative cable to the other end of the switch, and that's all there is to it. To disconnect the battery power, simply remove the contact knob.

You can also install a bypass circuit between the two sides of the cut-off switch, so even when the contact knob is out of the switch, there is still a small amount of current flowing to keep "memory" devices from forgetting their settings.

Here are the tools you'll need for this installation. Don't be intimidated; it's not difficult at all.

Here's the aluminum C5 dead pedal (left) covered in this project, and the aluminum C5 accelerator pedal covered in the next project. The four screws in the plastic bag are for securing the dead pedal. The different coloring of the aluminum in the two pedals occurs as a byproduct of the casting process and in no way effects the wear, durability, or functionality of the pedals; in fact, when the installation is complete, you'll see there is barely any perceptible difference in the pedal coloring.

While you can do this installation with the factory plastic dead pedal still in the car, it's much easier to do it out of the car. Use a 10mm socket to remove the two nuts retaining the stock dead pedal, then pull off the pedal using a rocking motion. Be careful not to pull too briskly, however, lest you break the plastic mounting tabs on the pedal.

Center the aluminum pedal on the plastic one and clamp the two together to keep them from moving. Use a 1/8-inch drill bit to drill the four screw holes, using the holes in the aluminum pedal as a guide.

The four mounting screws supplied will easily tap into the soft plastic of the stock pedal. Use a 2mm Allen wrench to tighten them down once they're started. When all four are tight, you're ready to put the pedal back in the car and secure it with the two 10mm nuts you removed initially.

The stock accelerator pedal is held in place with a pin. First, slip the tensioning spring over the accelerator arm to relax the tension on the pedal. Next, push on the pin from the passenger side of the arm; I found that using a flat-blade screwdriver on the driver side of the arm to pry the pin makes it come out quite a bit faster and easier. Be sure to note the orientation of the spring, as shown here on the right, with the retainer pin on the left and the disconnected stock pedal between them.

I used a cable tie to hold the spring in position (correctly oriented); that made positioning the new pedal and inserting the pin a bit easier. Once you push the pin all the way home, disconnect the cable tie and snap the spring back over the arm to re-establish tension on the pedal.

The PowerBall (in the drill) and the Mini PowerBall (foreground) are great time- and work-savers when it comes to cleaning and polishing your Corvette. The Mothers PowerMetal polish is great for cleaning and polishing wheels, trim rings, center caps, and full wheel covers.

The 12-inch extension shaft makes getting between and behind the spokes easy.

Remove the two Phillips screws holding the latch (note the orientation of the latch) and remove it. Next, remove the five Philips screws that join the outer and inner halves of the glovebox lid together, then separate the two halves.

Slip the new glovebox cover on the front end of the outer lid, and proceed to work it on from the front, sides, and rear. Be forewarned: this takes some doing as you have to stretch the material quite a bit; be sure the holes in the new cover are oriented in the correct position with the screw retainers in the lid. A hairdryer will soften the cover material somewhat and make it more pliable, which will help in stretching it to get it to fit. Once it is on completely, replace the inner lid, insert and tighten the five screws removed previously, and reattach the latch and tighten the two screws that retain it. Put the lid back in position in the car and fasten it to the hinge with the four screws you initially removed at the beginning of this project.

Here's the finished job. The padded cover not only looks sharp with the C5 logo, it also makes leaning your arm on it quite a bit more comfortable.

The '67 big-block Stinger from Paragon Reproductions comes complete with the speed nuts, screws, and retainer clips-everything you'll need for the replacement.

Here you can see how badly pitted the factory stinger is after 40 years of exposure to the elements. Two Phillips screws, one on each side at the front of the stinger, have retainer clips holding them on inside the hood. Remove these two screws first.

Three 5/16-inch speed nut are used on the studs of the stinger, and these are removed next. When these are out, the stinger can be removed by pulling on it. Insert the new stinger, thread on and tighten the speed nuts, then insert the two screws and tighten them into the retainer clips.

Here's what the '67 big-block hood looks like sans stinger. This is a good time to clean things up a bit-this is vintage 40-year-old dirt.

Here's a single-wheel setup from Corvette America. The cone is at the left, the wheel adapter at the upper center, the spinner at the right, the center cap below it, the mounting bolts, lock washers, and the antitheft pin above them. Multiply this stuff by four, and you have the whole setup. It's important to note the adapters are threaded for left and right sides-the threading goes counter-directionally to the wheel's rotation to help keep the spinners from coming loose.

Here's my '67 with the factory-option turbine wheels with the starburst centers. They look good, but I really wanted the knock-off spinner look.

A flat-blade screwdriver inserted and pried at several points around the starburst cap is all it takes to get the cap to release. Once it's off, a 1/2-inch socket is used to remove the five bolts that hold the steel retainer ring in place. There's no need to remove the lugs or wheels from the car for this installation, by the way.

A 1/2-inch socket is used to mount the DBO-KO adapter to the wheel using the five bolts and lock washers supplied in the mounting kit. You can see the starburst center cap retainer ring and its bolts, which were removed at the left in this shot.

Once the adapter bolts are nice and tight, the cone is fitted and held in place while the spinner is threaded onto the adapter. This right-hand spinner threads on counter-clockwise, whereas the driver-side spinners thread on clockwise. The counter-directional threading helps to keep them on the wheels. The antitheft pins also help to keep things secure. The label on the adapters advises you to use antiseizing compound to make removal of the spinners a bit easier.

I used a short piece of 2x4 and a 5-pound sledge to tighten the spinners on. you can also use a correct lead hammer, available from Corvette America, if you're a purist. Once the KO spinner is nice and tight, the center cap can be installed by pushing it on with the heel of your palm.

Here's the completed transformation from starburst center to three-blade knock-off center. Of course, it's all a matter of taste, but I personally like the knock-off look the best.

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